Easy Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

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Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken is a sweet-and-tangy chicken dinner made entirely in the slow cooker. It tastes like the takeout you love, made at home with no deep-frying and barely any hands-on work.

Chunks of chicken breast cook down with pineapple, soy sauce, fresh ginger, and a splash of apple cider vinegar for the tang. Sweet bell peppers in red, green, and orange add color and crunch.

Overhead of Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken in the slow cooker.

Table of Contents

This is the dinner I start before a busy afternoon and barely think about until it is time to eat. My husband always goes back for a second helping over rice, and there is rarely much left for lunch the next day.

Recipe Highlights

No deep-frying like restaurant sweet and sour
No searing the chicken, just add and go
Tastes like takeout, made at home
One pot and barely any cleanup
Make-ahead and freezer-friendly for busy weeks

Ingredient Notes

Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.

Ingredients needed to make Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken.

CHICKEN – Boneless, skinless chicken breast works great, though thighs hold up even better over a long cook. For the same sweet and tangy sauce with a different protein, try our Sweet and Sour Pork Chops.

PINEAPPLE – Use canned pineapple chunks and keep the juice. A quarter cup goes into the slurry that thickens the sauce at the end.

GINGER AND GARLIC – Grate fresh ginger and garlic on a microplane so they blend right into the sauce. No microplane? Use about a half teaspoon of ground ginger and a teaspoon of jarred minced garlic.

BELL PEPPERS – Any color works, so use what you have or a mix of red, green, and orange. They go in near the end of cooking so they stay crisp-tender.

CORN SYRUP – Light corn syrup is what the recipe calls for, but honey works in its place, measured the same.

CORNSTARCH – Whisk it into the reserved pineapple juice to make a slurry, then stir it in at the end. Want a thicker sauce? Add another tablespoon.

How To Make Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken

Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Grating fresh ginger over cubed chicken, onion, and tomato paste in the slow cooker.

Stirring the chicken, onion, and sauce ingredients together in the slow cooker.

Chopped green, red, and orange bell peppers on a wooden cutting board.

Cornstarch and pineapple juice slurry in a glass measuring cup next to canned pineapple chunks.

Pineapple chunks and bell peppers added to the cooked chicken in the slow cooker.

Finished Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken topped with toasted sesame seeds in the slow cooker.

Add the chicken, onion, ginger, garlic, and sauce ingredients to the slow cooker, saving a little pineapple juice for later.
Cover and cook low and slow until the chicken is cooked through.
Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved juice, then stir it in with the pineapple chunks and bell peppers.
Cook until the sauce thickens, then serve over rice and finish with sesame seeds.

A spoonful of Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken with pineapple and green bell pepper.

Leftovers and Storage

STORE – Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

FREEZE – Let it cool, then freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

REHEAT – Warm single servings in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. For a larger batch, reheat on the stove over medium heat until hot, about 5 to 8 minutes, adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.

MAKE AHEAD – Combine the chicken, onion, ginger, garlic, and sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pour it into the slow cooker and cook as directed, adding the slurry, pineapple, and peppers at the end.

More Crockpot Chicken Recipes

Serving Suggestions

SPOON IT OVER RICE – My Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken is made for a bowl of fluffy white rice, or our Fried Rice if you want to lean all the way into the takeout feel.

BUILD A TAKEOUT SPREAD – Set the slow cooker out next to Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, and Honey Garlic Chicken for a homemade spread that beats the delivery app.

ADD A SIMPLE VEGGIE – A side of Roasted Frozen Broccoli balances the sweet sauce and comes together while the chicken finishes.

PACK IT FOR LUNCH – The flavors settle in overnight, so portion the leftovers over rice for easy lunches all week.

Overhead of a plated serving of Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken over white rice with a fork.

Recipe Success Tips

CHICKEN SIZE – Cut the chicken into even 1-inch cubes so every piece finishes cooking at the same time.

ADD THE PEPPERS LATE – Stir the bell peppers in for the last hour so they stay crisp-tender and colorful.

THICKEN ON LOW – The cornstarch slurry sets the sauce over the last 45 to 60 minutes on low, with no need to change the temperature. For a faster or thicker sauce, switch to high for the last 30 minutes.

CHECK THE TEMPERATURE – Chicken is fully cooked at a safe internal temperature of 165º Fahrenheit, and a quick-read thermometer takes out the guesswork.

EXPERT TIP – For the juiciest results, swap the chicken breast for boneless thighs, which stay tender even when dinner runs late.

A serving spoon lifting Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken above the slow cooker.

Commonly Asked Questions

Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts?

Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully in this recipe. They stay extra tender over a long, slow cook and are forgiving if dinner runs late. Use the same two pounds, cut into 1-inch cubes, and cook them exactly as written. Breast and thigh are an easy swap with no other changes.

Do I Need to Brown the Chicken First?

No, the raw chicken goes straight into the slow cooker. The long cook time brings it up to a safe temperature and keeps it tender, so there is no need to sear it first. The USDA notes that a slow cooker is a safe way to cook raw poultry, which makes this a true dump-and-go dinner.

What Should I Serve With Sweet and Sour Chicken?

Crockpot sweet and sour chicken is best spooned over a bowl of fluffy white rice. The rice soaks up the sweet, tangy sauce and rounds out the meal. Fried rice, steamed broccoli, or egg rolls all make great sides if you want to turn dinner into a full takeout-style spread at home.

Can I Use Fresh Pineapple Instead of Canned?

Yes, fresh pineapple works with one small adjustment. Canned pineapple comes with juice that the slurry needs. If you use fresh, add a quarter cup of pineapple juice or water to make up for it, then swap the fresh chunks in at the same amount.

How Long Does Sweet and Sour Chicken Last?

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors deepen overnight, which makes this a great make-ahead meal. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it cool first, then thaw in the fridge before reheating on the stove or in the microwave.

How Long Does This Take on Low or High?

Both settings work, and either way the steps stay the same. Cook the chicken first, then add the slurry, pineapple, and peppers to finish. There is no need to change the temperature partway through. Here is the full timing at a glance:

Setting	Cook the Chicken	After Adding the Slurry, Pineapple, and Peppers
Low	5 to 6 hours	45 to 60 minutes
High	3 to 4 hours	30 minutes

More Popular Crockpot Recipes

These reader favorites all let the slow cooker do the work.

Boneless Ribs in the Crock Pot – Fall-apart tender ribs with almost no hands-on time.

Crock Pot Beef and Noodles – A cozy, stick-to-your-ribs dinner the whole family asks for.

Crockpot Steak Bites – Buttery, garlicky bites that disappear off the plate.

Crockpot Meatballs and Gravy – Saucy meatballs over mashed potatoes for an easy comfort meal.

Crockpot Lasagna – All the layers of classic lasagna with no boiling noodles.

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken served over white rice.

Maike Corbett

Maike Corbett grew up in German kitchens learning to cook and bake alongside her Omas before spending over a decade running full-service restaurants in the US. She founded Cheerful Cook in 2017 to share practical, tested comfort food recipes that actually work on busy weeknights, drawing on both her American restaurant experience and her German home-cooking roots. Her work has been featured on MSN, Yahoo, the Associated Press, and other major media outlets.